The prior art contains various examples of trailers adapted for use in transporting motorcycles. However, all of the prior proposals of which I am aware are characterized by undesirable attributes which limit their utility. One of the major disadvantages of these trailers is that their designs are based on the premise that the cycle may be either lifted or pushed onto the storage track. This approach makes it difficult, not to mention dangerous, to load full-sized motorcycles, which weigh 500 pounds or more. A second major disadvantage of the prior proposals is that they employ tie-down apparatus for holding stored cycles in place which is inconvenient to use, and which is adapted to engage the frame or structure of the cycle. This last mentioned characteristic is particularly undesirable because it can result in scratching of the painted or bright metal surfaces of the motorcycle, and may preclude handling of cycles of different designs.
The object of this invention is to provide an improved motorcycle-transporting trailer which permits full-sized motorcycles to be loaded and unloaded safely and easily and which is sufficiently versatile to handle most, if not all, of the various brands and models of such cycles which are marketed today. According to the invention, the trailer comprises a rigid frame which carries a pair of stub axles for the ground-engaging wheels, and which provides a horizontal load-supporting bed located at an elevation below the centerline of those axles. This bed supports at least one longitudinally-extending, channel-shaped main track, which is designed to closely confine the tires of a motorcycle, and is provided with decking which extends longitudinally along both sides of that track. Near its forward end, the main track is equipped with a wheel well having front and side panels which confine the tread and sidewalls, respectively, of the cycle tire in both the lower and the upper forward quadrants of the front cycle wheel. At its rear end, the main track is provided with an auxiliary track section of similar design which is mounted for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis. The auxiliary track section has a loading position, in which it engages the ground and serves as a ramp for leading a motorcycle onto the main track, and a clamping position, in which it bears against the rear tire of a stored cycle in the upper rear quadrant of the cycle wheel. A clamping mechanism, which reacts between the trailer and the auxiliary track section when the latter is in clamping position, presses the auxiliary track against the tire, and thereby forces the front tire of the stored cycle longitudinally against the front panel of the wheel well.
The provision of the low, drop bed, the track, the ramp and the decking makes it practical and safe for an operator to drive a motorcycle onto the trailer under power. Thus, the invention facilitates loading of heavy, full-sized motorcycles. Moreover, once the cycle is on the trailer, it is confined by the wheel well, the main track and the auxiliary track, which engage only the rubber tires of the cycle, and is reliably held in place solely by the force exerted on the auxiliary track by the clamping means. Therefore, scratching of the cycle frame is avoided, variations in the design of the cycle frame are irrelevant, and securing of the cycle on the trailer is a relatively simple task. In short, the invention makes it possible for one man to safely and quickly load and transport a large heavy motorcycle.
In its preferred form, the new trailer incorporates additional desirable features. Among these are:
a. The use of a front panel on the wheel well which is curved on a radius approximating that of the cycle tire, and which, therefore, distributes the clamping force and affords superior holding action. PA1 b. The use of a chain and toggle type chain tightener as the clamping means. This expedient is advantageous because of its simplicity, and also because it utilizes readily available, simple commerical parts. PA1 c. The inclusion of fenders for the ground-engaging trailer wheels which fully enclose those portions of the treads and inboard sides of the wheels, located above the load-supporting bed, and therefore protects the motorcycle from flying gravel, etc. PA1 d. The use of a longitudinally adjustable wheel well which is secured by separable fasteners. This feature allows cycles of different lengths to be transported without major modification of the trailer. PA1 e. The inclusion of apparatus for permitting simultaneous transport of a plurality of motorcycles.